Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The State decided that it would not even look for or bid for prospecting licences in national parks and Croagh Patrick for the very reason that it would never issue a mining licence there anyway. Why does the same principle not apply to areas designated as SACs or SPAs? It would be utterly rational for these areas to be protected and it is not possible that mining would be compatible with the preservation of the status of these areas. On the other hand, and with no disrespect to the Minister of State, it is stupid to say to me that they are only prospecting licences. Why would a company look for a prospecting licence if there was no chance, because of the designations of the areas, that it would ever be granted a mining licence? The presumption is that the companies must believe that they will get a mining licence. These are powerful entities and why otherwise would they bother wasting their money looking for the prospecting licence and then prospecting?

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